Marriage: Ebenezer Perkins stated in letter dated 12 June 1820 (in support of his pension) that “my family residing with me consists of my wife who is about 70 years of age, very infirm, and not able to contribute anything to her support” [Revolutionary War Pension File S36219, Ebenezer Perkins, Connecticut]. His wife’s name was Eunice (maiden name unknown), and she died 6 March 1829 at age 83 at Norwich, CT [NEHGR II-404-407].

Children: It is unknown if Capt. Perkins ever sired any children; there is no reference to any children in his pension file, nor in any of the records located about him.

Education: He appears to have been was well read but details of his education are unknown.

Cincinnati: Original Member [CMWR p. 376]; first represented in 1982 by George Breed [d. 2000]. Now represented by Hereditary Member who joined in 2011.

Occupation: Stated in letter dated 12 June 1820 (in support of his pension) that he was “a trader” [Pension File].

Discussion: Ebenezer Perkins was one of the many officers of the Continental Army who became active in the Masonic Order during and after the Revolutionary War. On 16 October 1794, he was among several men who were involved in the effort to reorganize the Union Lodge, which initially was chartered 12 January 1753 [200 Years of Union Lodge No. 31, New London Connecticut, hereinafter “200 Years”, www.unionlodge31.org]. The new charter for Union Lodge No. 31 was issued 20 May 1795 [Ibid]. On 25 June 1799, Capt. Ebenezer Perkins, as Worshipful Master of Union Lodge No. 31, laid the foundation for Freemason’s Hall in Norwich, CT [Ibid]. On 27 December 1800 at the Festival of St. John the Baptist, he delivered an address to those assembled at Freemason’s Hall [An Address Delivered to Union Lodge at Freemason’s Hall, in the City of New of New London, on the Festival of St. John the Evangelist 1800 by Ebenezer Perkins (Samuel Green, New London 1801)]. He served as Worshipful Master of Union Lodge No. 31 from 1799 to 1804 [200 Years]. In October 1805 he represented Union Lodge No. 31 at the Convocation of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the State of Connecticut [Records of Capitular Masonry in the State of Connecticut, hereinafter “Capitular Masonry” (Press Wiley, Waterman & Eaton, Hartford 1875) p. 32]. He also represented Union Lodge No. 31 at the convocations of May 1812, May 1813, and October 1813 [Capitular Masonry pp. 52, 56, 58]. However, later in life, he apparently fell on financial hard times. In the records of the October 1813 meeting of the Grand Lodge there is the following entry: “The Grand Lodge was opened in the Third Degree of Masonry when a petition from sundry brethren of Union Lodge No. 31, New London, praying some relief for our Bro. Ebenezer Perkins, a member of said Lodge, in consequence of his many and great misfortunes, was introduced and read. After sundry remarks on the subject, it was ordered that the Grand Treasurer pay to Bro. Perkins from the funds of the Grand Lodge, seventy-five dollars, as a charitable donation in his afflicted circumstances.” [The Records of Freemasonry in the State of Connecticut (E.G. Storer, New Haven 1859) p. 254]. His indigent circumstances persisted, as shown by his 12 June 1820 declaration in support of his pension application, in which he stated “by reason of my infirmity have not the ability to pursue” his occupation as a trader and that due to “my reduced and indigent circumstances in life, [I am] unable to support myself without the assistance of my country” [Pension File]. Capt. Ebenezer Perkins died in Norwich, CT 31 August 1831 at age 74 and was buried in Norwich City Cemetery [www.Find-A-Grave.com].

Cornelius Russell, 73 years old and husband of Huldah Russell, died on 03 August 1823 at Randolph, Vermont. He was buried in the Randolph Center Cemetery. The newspaper notice of his death included the comment fifteen persons died in Randolph of dysentery between July 23d and August 18.

Huldah Russell, Cornelius’ wife, died six years later on 07 August 1829. She was 75 years old and was also buried in the Randolph Center Cemetery.

Marriage:

Cornelius Russell, of Windsor, Connecticut, married Huldah Pember on November 1784 at Randolph, Vermont. Huldah’s place of residence was recorded as being East Windsor, Connecticut.

Children:

The children of Cornelius and Huldah Russell are reported to have been as follows: Horace A. Russell (1787-1818). Betsy Russell (1788-162) who married Seth Crocker who died in 1831. Elijah Pember Russell (1790-1874). Thomas Pember Russell (1792-1816). James Russell (1795-1866) who married in 1828 Mary A. Lewis (1807-1889).

According to information contained in a pension application dated 06 April 1818 when he was 67 years old and living in Randolph, Orange County, Vermont, his military service was as follows:

He enlisted in May, 1775, place not stated, and served seven months as private in Captain Elijah Robinson’s Connecticut company. At the expiration of this term he enlisted in Captain Ebenezer E. Bissell’s company in Colonel Jedidiah Huntington’s 17th Connecticut Regiment; on August 12, 1776, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant major and on August 27, 1776, he was taken prisoner on Long Island by the British and held a prisoner until he was exchanged in the latter part of December, 1776. On January 1, 1777, he was commissioned ensign in Captain Ezekiel Sanford’s company in Colonel Philip B. Bradley’s 5th Connecticut Regiment; he was commissioned second lieutenant in said company and regiment in December 15, 1777, and was commissioned first lieutenant April 1, 1779, and served until the close of the war, having belonged to the 2nd Connecticut Regiment since sometime in 1781.

Cincinnati:

Original Member.

References:

Connecticut. Adjutant-General’s Office. Record of Service of Connecticut Men In the I. War of the Revolution, II. War of 1812, III. Mexican War. Hartford: [Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co.], 1889. pp. 27, 194, 327, 355 and 373.

Francis B. Heitman, Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army during the War of the Revolution April, 1775, to December, 1783. Washington, D.C.: The Rare Book Shop Publishing Company, 1914. p. 477.

Daniel Howard, A New History of Old Windsor, Connecticut. [Windsor Locks, Conn.: The Journal Press], 1935. pp. 60 74

Nickerson & Cox. The Illustrated historical souvenir of Randolph, Vermont: containing a brief history of the early settlement of the town, the schools, churches, medical and legal professions, old families, business and manufacturing interests, together with portraits and biographies of the citizens past and present. Randolph: [Nickerson & Cox], 1895. p. 104.

Henry Reed Stiles, The History of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut: Including East Windsor, South Windsor, And Ellington, Prior to 1768, the Date of Their Separation From the Old Town; And Windsor, Bloomfield And Windsor Locks, to the Present Time. Also the Genealogies And Genealogical Notes of Those Families Which Settled Within the Limits of Ancient Windsor, Connecticut, Prior to 1800. New York: C. B. Norton, 1859. pp. 384 & 406.